"My Lord, she has made it! It's twins, a boy and a girl!" Jeremy says the moment he creaks the door open.
The words fill the room, filling the air with a mixture of relief and excitement.
Arthur holds Madin's hand as he rushes to see the newborns. Catherina lies unconscious on the bed, pale and still, the exhaustion of childbirth clear on her face.
Her breathing is shallow, weak. The sound of the babies crying fills the room, their tiny voices echoing off the walls, sharp and unrelenting.
Arthur moves quickly, his gaze never leaving Catherina as he picks up one of the newborns.
He cradles it gently in his arms, though his expression betrays a trace of concern. The other baby is handed off to madin, and in an instant, the crying stops. There's a moment of quiet as both babies settle, their soft breaths the only sound now.
The room watches in stunned silence, Madin can't help but smile at the tiny creature in his hands, it's small face full of innocence and wonder.
The moment feels surreal, a brief flash of peace amidst the chaos that has surrounded them all.
Arthur looks down at Catherina, his voice low. "How is she?" he asks, his eyes shifting from her to the doctor, who has been watching Catherina closely.
The doctor hesitates before responding, his face grim. "She's lost a great deal of blood. There is little we can do but wait and hope. She is very weak, my lord."
A heavy silence falls over the room. All eyes are on Catherina, who still lies unconscious, pale and barely moving.
Just as the tension grows unbearable, Catherina's eyes flutter open. She seems disoriented, her gaze unfocused at first. Then, as if by instinct, her voice breaks the stillness.
"My babies," she whispers, her voice rough and strained. "Why do you have them?" She says directing the question to Madin.
Arthur, his brow furrow.
Madin carefully places the baby that he had in her arms. But the moment the baby makes contact with her, it begins to cry again, louder and more desperately than before. The sound is sharp, almost piercing, and everyone in the room freezes.
"Take it!" Catherina snaps, her voice laced with frustration. "So much noise!"
Madin move quickly, taking the baby back in my arms, and immediately the crying stops.
It's an eerie and sudden shift, as though the baby is comforted the moment it's away from Catherina's touch.
The room is silent, unsure of what to make of the situation. Even the doctor seems surprised, his gaze flicking from the baby to Catherina.
Catherina lets out a weak laugh, one that's bitter and filled with self-loathing. "I've done a lot of bad things," she murmurs, her eyes closing slightly. "Even my own babies don't want me. They don't even know anything about the world yet, and they're already trying to escape me."
She turns her gaze to Madin, her eyes sharp with resentment. "You," she says, her finger trembling as she points at him. "As much as I hate you, take care of my babies. If you don't, I'll haunt you. But I don't think I'll have to. You're a good-hearted creature, and I'm sorry… sorry for everything I made you go through."
Her words hang in the air, and for a brief moment, the room falls completely still. Then, as quickly as it began, her eyes close for the last time, her body going limp as death claims her.
Catherina passes away quietly, leaving the room in stunned silence. No one speaks at first, the weight of the loss settling over them like a heavy fog.
Many of those present may not have liked her, may have resented her for the things she did, but there is still an undeniable sorrow that accompanies death. The babies will grow up without their mother, though they now have Arthur and Madin.
In Sabia kingdom, it is customary to handle the body of the deceased swiftly. The body is either buried or cremated within hours of death, in accordance with the laws of the land.
Catherina's body is cremated, her ashes scattered in the wind. The flames that consume her body symbolize the end of a chapter, the finality of her presence in the world.
☆▪
Madin's POV,,
A month passes, and life begins to settle into a new routine. Arthur, the twins, and I moved into a larger room after our marriage.
Though we have servants to help, we take an active role in caring for the children ourselves.
To our surprise, the twins are growing fast and healthy. They don't cry as much as other babies do, and as long as we are near, they seem content.
They sleep peacefully, wrapped in soft blankets, and we check on them throughout the night, ensuring they are safe and comfortable.
As I tuck the babies in, I hear Arthur making a sound behind me. I turn to see him stretching, clearly getting too comfortable in the quiet of the night.
"Shh!" I hiss, pinching his ear. "You'll wake them up!"
Arthur, of course, is completely unbothered. "What? It wasn't that loud," he chuckles.
I roll my eyes, unable to hide my smile. "You're impossible."
"Come on," he says, his voice lowering playfully. "Let's go to another room."
"I'm tired, Arthur," I protest, not wanting to move. "We've just settled down after a long day, and you want to change everything?"
Arthur is already standing, moving toward me with that determined look in his eyes. "You know you want to," he says, lifting me up as if I'm weightless.
I know what he wants when he suggests we go to my older room. I don't have to ask what we are going to do there.
"Stop," I laugh, trying to wriggle free. "What if someone sees you carrying me around like this?" It's embarrassing especially for a king!
Arthur chuckles softly. "Don't worry about that, you know I've never cared about other people's thought when it comes to you" he says, his grip tightening. "Let's have a little fun tonight."
Little fun indeed , that little fun isn't that little as he makes it sound.
"Fine," I sigh dramatically, though I can't help the warmth that spreads through me at his playful persistence.
Sneaking in dark corridors like all other time, this is really childish for a king and his queen who is a man. We could just get the baby's room but no , we want them in our room till they grow.
As we enter in my old room, Arthur doesn't waste a second as he pulls me into the bed , hovering around me.
"Why are you this impatient today?" I can't help but wonder aloud.
He drops his body on mine, looking at me with a smirk. "You know," he says, "I've been thinking about what you said the other day…"
I raise an eyebrow, curious. "What do you mean?"
He leans closer, his gaze intense. "About who you were with that night."
"Oh come on! Really ? It's been a month now and you are still at it?"
"It still bothers me even if I don't mention it. I know it was someone. I've been trying to figure out who it was, and I think I know now. It was Jeremy, wasn't it?"
I freeze for a moment, but then I give a small laugh, trying to dismiss his thoughts. "It doesn't matter. Okay yes, but you forgave me, didn't you?"
"That little rascal, I can't believe I never figured it out and the way it was obvious, he is so glad he left the palace, I would have gone for him now."
"Drop it, it was nothing , seriously, didn't you say you forgave me?"
Arthur seems more serious now, a little hurt flashing in his eyes. "You're right. I did forgive you. But hearing about it again… It still stings. So I'll only forgive you again after this..." he says attacking my lips , finding me off guard.
I can't help but smile softly, reaching out to him as I pull back. "I love you, Arthur. You're the one I want to be with. Nothing has changed. And you know it."
His expression softens, and for a moment, there's nothing but silence between us. "I love you too," he says quietly. "More than you'll ever know. But I'll only let it go forever after this..." he says landing his lips on mine again as he struggles to undress me.
Can't resist to help.
○
End.